The Indian star cricketer Virat Kohli’s unexpected retirement from Test cricket on May 12 left fans and cricket lovers, including former cricketer Harbhajan Singh’s young daughter Hinaya, in shock. The 36 years old Indian batting legend decided to step away from the longest format just over a month before India’s upcoming Test series against England.
Harbhajan Singh who is also called Turbanator by his fans recently opened up about how his daughter reacted to the news. She was deeply affected and couldn’t understand why Virat Kohli made such a decision. Wanting answers, she asked her father to message Virat Kohli on her behalf. Hinaya wrote a message saying, “I am Hinaya. Why did you take retirement?” Kohli replied warmly, telling her that it was simply the right time for him to retire. Harbhajan shared this personal exchange, saying even his daughter found it hard to accept that someone she admired was stepping away from the game.
Virat Kohli ends his Test career with a remarkable record of 9,230 runs in 210 innings, maintaining an average of 46.85. His retirement closely followed Rohit Sharma who also announced his departure from red-ball cricket just five days earlier. With both the veterans out, India will head into the five-match Test series against England without two of their most experienced players.
Looking ahead, Virat Kohli now plans to focus entirely on the 50-over format, with an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup. He had already retired from T20 internationals after India’s T20 World Cup triumph, where he was named the Player of the Match in the final against South Africa.
India’s Test series against England begins on June 20 and all eyes will be on how the team adapts to the absence of one of its most iconic Test players. In preparation, the selectors have brought in Karun Nair as a possible replacement in the middle order, setting the stage for a new chapter in Indian Test cricket.
